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Communication Studies Faculty — Timothy Clukey

Associate Professor

Tim Clukey is the coordinator for the audio-radio production and digital media production concentration majors in the Department of Communication. He is a graduate of the SUNY system, having attended both Clinton Community College ('90) and SUNY Plattsburgh ('97). He completed his M.S. in Corporate Communications at Ithaca College ('99) and was awarded the 1999 Graduate Faculty Department Award, which named him as one of the top three students in the Communication graduate program.

Tim has been involved in communication, computer, & music technologies throughout his life. He started learning the piano at age five, built his first synthesizer at age 16, programmed his first MIDI-configuration the year it was introduced ('81), and continued working in various musical groups for another 20 years. He also spent 23 years as the music coordinator and organist for the SUNY Plattsburgh Ice Hockey program (1987-2009).

His interest in computer technology began in the late Seventies, at the onset of the microcomputer revolution, where he began working for Tandy Corporation as a computer specialist. He coordinated the introduction of this new technology to school systems in upstate New York including system installations and educational workshops for grade and high school educators. As microcomputer technology standardized and expanded, his interests led him to management and later to corporate training for various Tandy-owned subsidiaries, including Radio Shack and Famous Brand Electronics. He received dozens of awards over his twenty years with Tandy Corporation, culminating in a regional training conference ('94) where he both coordinated training and entertained over 1,200 managers from the northeastern United States. As Tim explains, "I got to play Paul Shafer, mixing live performance and MIDI technologies with corporate training techniques. It was fun — and a very unique experience."

Tim began focusing his interest in radio communication as an undergraduate student at SUNY Plattsburgh in the mid-Nineties. He worked for WPLT and the Northeast Radio Reading Service, as a news announcer and production engineer. After completing his B.S., he continued his radio training as a Park Fellow at Ithaca College, working for VIC and WICB, which broadcast to southwestern New York State. While completing his M.S., he worked as a communication specialist — producing an extensive radio campaign for the Tompkins County Drowsy Driving Coalition.

Professor Clukey joined the SUNY Plattsburgh staff in fall '99 as an adjunct professor, teaching audio, radio, and multimedia production courses. He began his full-time faculty work the following year, with the goal of expanding the audio and digital media production program within the Department of Communication. He has been involved with the Broadcast Educators Association, where he chaired the Faculty Interactive Multimedia Competition for several years. He has written for various technology and music journals including the Music Educators Journal , the online Web Design & Review magazine, and most recently for the international publication Sound On Sound magazine.

Tim has stayed active in the production arena, crafting websites, videos, and various audio productions. He recently has been involved with SUNY Plattsburgh's Special Collections media, completing digital audio archival and restoration for both music and oral history files (including Robert Frost lectures, the Franklin County archives, and the Marjorie Lansing Porter Collection).

Tim's classes frequently incorporate hands-on experience, providing service learning components that involve students with a variety of on- and off-campus organizations. He works closely with various non-profit agencies such as the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Clinton County Traffic Safety, Northern Adirondack Planned Parenthood, the SUNY Plattsburgh Music Department, and the Plattsburgh Upward Bound Program. He also produces CD's, websites, and multimedia productions for several area organizations.

Tim's teaching philosophy involves helping students to move beyond the boundaries of textbooks and exams, encouraging them to explore new avenues of understanding and experience through the application of technology. "I like to introduce students to the processes of technology," Tim stated. "Too many people get 'married' to specific software only to find themselves lost when their favorite programs are replaced by a new version or an entirely new software title." Tim is able to practice this philosophy daily as he is responsible for overseeing the operation of the Audio & Digital Media Laboratories in Yokum Hall. He also supervises the student-run "teleradio" station — WARP, and advises the student-operated, campus radio station — WQKE.

In his spare time, Tim enjoys digital photo compositing, creative writing, walks on the beach, audio archival work, and web editing, as well as creating underscore music for various personal projects.